Pennsylvania 12 (Warren Street Bypass)

Pennsylvania 12 East

The Warren Street Bypass begins initially as an at-grade expressway. However there are no traffic signals and limited entrances/exits to adjacent businesses. A pseudo interchange links Pennsylvania 12 with Pennsylvania 183 (Schuylkill Avenue) at the east end of the expressway portion of the highway. Photo taken 08/01/04.

Pennsylvania 12 eastbound shield posted ahead of the Pennsylvania 183 (Schuylkill Avenue) turn-off. An entrance to an adjacent car dealership exists on the right. There are no traffic lights or crossovers on the Warren Street Bypass expressway section. So all traffic entering or exiting the dealership is limited to right-turns only. Photo taken 08/01/04.

One-eighth of a mile ahead of the Pennsylvania 183 (Schuylkill Avenue) turn-off. The state route passes over Pennsylvania 12 in the distance. The north-south route travels out of downtown Reading northward to Reading Regional Airport [General Carl A. Spaatz (USAF) Field] and Strausstown. Photo taken 08/01/04.

Pennsylvania 12 eastbound at the turn-off to Pennsylvania 183 (Schuylkill Avenue). The state route travels 1.75 mile southward to its end at junction U.S. 422 Business (Penn Avenue) and 2.75 miles north to a diamond interchange with U.S. 222 adjacent to Reading Regional Airport. Photo taken 08/01/04.

The Warren Street Bypass ascends from the Pennsylvania 183 under crossing. A concrete barrier divides the carriageways of the four lane freeway at the second eastbound reassurance shield. Photo taken 08/01/04.

Button copy guide sign for the next two interchanges of Pennsylvania 12 east: River Road and Pennsylvania 61 (Centre Avenue). Exits are unnumbered on the Pennsylvania 12 (Warren Street Bypass) freeway. Photo taken 08/01/04.

Rounding the bend toward the River Road partial-cloverleaf interchange of Pennsylvania 12 east. River Road derives its name from the parallel Schuylkill River in which it shadows. The Warren Street Bypass crosses over the river just south of the upcoming off-ramp. Photo taken 08/01/04.

A loop ramp carries Pennsylvania 12 eastbound motorists down to River Road north of Reading. The surface highway stems northwestward from Bern Street in Reading to Leiszs Bridge Road at Muhlenberg. Photo taken 08/01/04.

Pennsylvania 12 eastbound reassurance shield and mileage sign. The state route was christened in 2000 to replace U.S. 222 along the Warren Street Bypass. Thus all shields and mileage signs are retroreflectorized. Photo taken 08/01/04.

Pennsylvania 61 (Centre Avenue) intersects the Pennsylvania 12 freeway midway between Reading and Muhlenberg. The surface arterial carries four overall lanes and was heavily congested until the completion of the U.S. 222 freeway between U.S. 422 & Pennsylvania 12 to Spring Ridge Drive. A railroad line passes above the freeway in the background. Photo taken 08/01/04.

Auxiliary guide sign featuring the control points of Pennsylvania 61 (Centre Avenue) for the five-ramp partial cloverleaf interchange ahead. Pennsylvania 61 represents the original U.S. 122 alignment between downtown Reading and Sunbury. The routing remains as a busy through route between Reading, Hamburg (junction Interstate 78), Pottsville, and Frackville (junction Interstate 81). Photo taken 08/01/04.

Eastbound at the Pennsylvania 61 (Centre Avenue) off-ramp. Centre Avenue parallels U.S. 222 Business (5th Street Highway) from north Reading to Tuckerton Road at the community of Temple. a six-ramp partial cloverleaf interchange links Pennsylvania 21 with the 5th Street Highway one half mile ahead. Photo taken 08/01/04.

Another railroad line crosses over the Warren Street Bypass between the Pennsylvania 61 (Centre Avenue) and U.S. 222 Business (5th Street Highway) interchanges. U.S. 222 at one time continued eastward along the Pennsylvania 12 freeway to the forthcoming off-ramp. There the route continued northward along the 5th Street Highway to Allentown Pike. Photo taken 08/01/04.

Button copy auxiliary sign for Kutztown. U.S. 222 Business merges with U.S. 222 northeast of Temple and southwest of Blandon. From there U.S. 222 (Allentown Pike) travels ten miles to Kutztown in northeast Berks County. Photo taken 08/01/04.

Traffic to U.S. 222 Business (5th Street Highway) leaves Pennsylvania 12 eastbound for the town of Laureldale. The 5th Street Highway carries U.S. 222 Business southward from Allentown Pike to 5th Street and downtown Reading. An original button copy sign for the 11th Street exit remains in place to the left. Photo taken 08/01/04.

Non-reflectorized button copy overheads for the 11th Street off-ramp of Pennsylvania 12 eastbound. 11th Street represents the last direct connection between the Warren Street Bypass and the city of Reading. Photo taken 08/01/04.

Pennsylvania 12 resembles a vintage PENNDOT constructed freeway on the curve toward the Spring Valley Road partial-cloverleaf interchange. Spring Valley Road ties into nearby Pricetown Road to the east and Little Rock and Crystal Rock Roads to the west. Photo taken 08/01/04.

Drawing to within one quarter mile of the Spring Valley Road off-ramp. Spring Valley Road travels 1.25 miles west from Pennsylvania 12 to the confluence of Kutztown Road and 11th Street near Laureldale and Hyde Park. Photo taken 08/01/04.

Pennsylvania 12 eastbound at the Spring Valley Road exit. The freeway prepares to transition into a surface highway by reducing from two to one overall eastbound lane. Spring Valley Road enters a traffic circle 0.75 miles to the west with Crystal Rock Road and Montrose Avenue. Note the original button copy sign to the right. Photo taken 08/01/04.

Three interchanges are available from Pennsylvania 12 (Warren Street Bypass) to the city of Reading. Depicted here is an upcoming exits sign featuring all three exits on Pennsylvania 12 westbound as it leaves Spring Valley Road. Photo taken 08/01/04.

Pennsylvania 12 reassurance shield and companion mileage sign for the U.S. 422 control point of Lebanon postead ahead of the 11th Street diamond interchange. Photo taken 08/01/04.

Shrouded by vegetation, the advance sign for the 11th Street off-ramp of Pennsylvania 12 west. The original sign retains button copy lettering and is non-reflective. Photo taken 08/01/04.

The foliage clears and a view of the downtown Reading skyline and nearby hills opens to Pennsylvania 12 (Warren Street Bypass) motorists midway between 11th Street and U.S. 222 Business (5th Street Highway). Photo taken 08/01/04.

Traffic merging onto Pennsylvania 12 westbound joins the freeway as an exit-only lane to U.S. 222 Business (5th Street Highway) ahead of the Kutztown Road undercrossing. 5th Street carries U.S. 222 Business northward from downtown Reading to Laureldale, Temple, and Allentown Pike on its return to U.S. 222. Photo taken 08/01/04.

Pennsylvania 12 westbound at the partial-cloverleaf interchange with U.S. 222 Business (5th Street Highway). Until 2000, U.S. 222 traveled 5th Street southward from Allentown Pike to the Warren Street Bypass. From here westward U.S. 222 utilized the Pennsylvania 12 freeway to U.S. 422. The opening of the freeway between U.S. 422 and Spring Ridge Drive allowed for U.S. 222 to relocate completely onto the Reading freeway system in lieu of 5th Street and Allentown Pike. Photo taken 08/01/04.

There is no access between Pennsylvania 12 west and Pennsylvania 61 (Centre Avenue). The freeway passes under Centre Avenue and receives an on-ramp from Pennsylvania 61 instead. Use either Bern or George Street to access Pennsylvania 61 from U.S. 222 Business (5th Street). Photo taken 08/01/04.

Westbound at the River Road exit on Pennsylvania 12. River Road travels northward from Bern Street in Reading to Leiszs Bridge Road and a residential area alongside the U.S. 222 freeway at Ashbourne Drive. Photo taken 08/01/04.

The Warren Street Bypass crosses the Schuylkill River via a four-lane shoulderless bridge west of River Road. Pictured here is a reassurance shield and PENNDOT standard blue/white sign for the river itself. Photo taken 08/01/04.

The last exit of Pennsylvania 12 westbound before the highway ends at U.S. 222 & 422 exists with Pennsylvania 183 (Schuylkill Avenue) northwest of Reading. Pennsylvania 183 passes over the freeway en route to Reading Regional Airport as Bernville Road. Photo taken 08/01/04.

Pennsylvania 12 transitions from a full freeway into a four-lane at-grade expressway between Pennsylvania 183 (Schuylkill Avenue) and junction U.S. 222 & 422. A 15 MPH turn-off exists to facilitates the movement from the Warren Street Bypass westbound onto an adjacent frontage street to reach Schuylkill Avenue. Photo taken 08/01/04.

Westbound at the Pennsylvania 183 (Schuylkill Avenue) turn-off. Pennsylvania 183 begins in downtown Reading and ends 30 miles later at Pottsville and junction Pennsylvania 61. The state route serves the Reading Regional Airport two miles to the north. Photo taken 08/01/04.

Local access is granted from all businesses on the westbound side of Pennsylvania 12 between Pennsylvania 183 and U.S. 222 & 422. However no left-hand turns are permitted and the stretch of expressway is devoid of any traffic lights. A partially covered diagrammatical overhead advises motorists of the upcoming junction with U.S. 222 & 422. Photo taken 08/01/04.

The end shield for Pennsylvania 12 exists just ahead of the directional interchange with the west Reading bypass and U.S. 222 & 422 freeway to Wyomissing. Pennsylvania 12 was born out of the relocation of U.S. 222 from U.S. 422 to Fifth Street in 2000. The westbound lanes default onto U.S. 222 south & 422 west to Wyomissing. All U.S. 222 references remained concealed due to the late 2004 opening of the freeway between Wyomissing and Shillington. Photo taken 08/01/04.

Pennsylvania 12 westbound at the U.S. 422 eastbound loop ramp to Reading, Pottstown, and Morgantown (via Interstate 176 south). U.S. 222 followed U.S. 422 between here and Lancaster Avenue until the end of 2004. Photo taken 08/01/04.

Drivers that do not turn southeast via U.S. 422 east default onto U.S. 422 west & U.S. 222 south to Wyomissing, Lancaster, and Lebanon. There is no ramp to provide the movement between Pennsylvania 12 west and U.S. 222 north to Allentown and Hamburg. Paper Mill Road intersects the U.S. 222 & 422 freeway just west of Pennsylvania 12's end. Photo taken 08/01/04.